(Mandatory water restrictions are in effect across parts of Summit County this summer. Here’s what owners, buyers, and sellers need to know about watering rules and drought-friendly landscaping.)
If you’ve noticed sprinkler restrictions popping up around Summit County this summer, you’re not imagining it — and if you’re buying, selling, or just maintaining a home up here, this affects you. A dry winter and low snowpack have pushed several local water providers into mandatory restrictions this year.
What’s Actually in Effect
Different water providers across the county have declared different stages of restriction this year, and the rules vary depending on exactly where your property sits — so, once again, your specific address matters a lot.
In areas served by East Dillon Water District — including Summit Cove, Key West Farms,
Summerwood, and several surrounding neighborhoods — a Stage 2 Water Shortage Warning has been in effect since April. Under that stage, automated sprinklers and drip irrigation systems aren’t allowed at all. Hand watering only, with a shut-off nozzle, on a schedule based on whether your address is odd or even, and never during the heat of the day between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Town of Dillon separately implemented its own mandatory outdoor water restrictions this spring, tied to the flow levels in Straight Creek. If flows drop further, the town has the authority to tighten restrictions even more — potentially to a full outdoor watering ban — with immediate effect.
Restrictions aren’t limited to Dillon — many water providers around the county rolled out some version of a mandatory or phased watering schedule this year after one of the lowest snowpack seasons on record. If you haven’t checked with your specific water provider yet, now’s the time.
What This Means for Sellers and Staging
If you’re planning to list a home this summer, this changes your landscaping strategy. You can’t just crank the sprinklers the week before photos the way sellers sometimes have in years past — in a lot of neighborhoods right now, that’s not even legal.
The good news: drought-tolerant, xeriscaped landscaping is increasingly something buyers up here expect and even prefer, not something they penalize. Native grasses, mulch beds, rock features, and low-water perennials can photograph beautifully and signal that a property is easy to maintain — which matters a lot to a buyer who’s only up here part-time.
One more thing worth knowing: Colorado state law protects homeowners from HOA fines specifically for reducing or eliminating irrigation in response to a declared water shortage. If your HOA has a strict lawn-appearance rule and your area is under mandatory restrictions, you have some legal footing there — worth a conversation with your HOA if it comes up.
The Bottom Line
Check your specific water provider’s current restriction stage before you plan any landscaping work or a listing timeline this summer, and don’t be afraid to lean into a drought-tolerant look — it works in this market. If you want help thinking through staging or timing your listing around this, reach out any time.